2016 Rookie Tracking

[Joe Lanza]

This is to track/debate any rookie wrestler who debuts on or after 9/1/15, for WON Awards purposes.

I send the completed list to Big Dave every year, but I have no idea the extent of which he considers the information.



CLEAR CUT 2016 ROOKIES AS PER THE WON CRITERIA

Matt Riddle - EVOLVE/WWN debut 10/17/15

Keiichi Sato - AJPW debut 10/23/15 (now works for Wrestle-1)

Kaito Ishida - Dragon Gate debut 9/11/15 (has exhibition bouts prior to 9/1/15, official debut 9/11 per DG Jae)
Takehiro Yamamura - Dragon Gate debut 9/11/15 (has exhibition bouts prior to 9/1/15, official debut 9/11 per DG Jae)
Futa Nakamura- Dragon Gate debut 4/22/16
Shun Watanabe - Dragon Gate debut 4/22/16
Hyo Watanabe - Dragon Gate debut 8/14/16

Ayato Yoshida - K-Dojo debut 11/1/15
Dinosaur Takuma - K-Dojo debut 11/1/15

Daria Berenato - WWE debut 12/3/15

Kaito Kiyomiya - NOAH debut 12/9/15

Teruaki Kanemitsu - NJPW debut 1/3/16
Hirai Kawato - NJPW debut 1/3/16
Takumi Honjo - NJPW debut 2/25/16

Rachael Ellering/Fazio - Indie debut 11/28, debuted for SHINE & WWE in 2016

Takuya Namura - BJW debut 4/5/16

Jungle Kyona - Stardom debut 11/15/15
Hiromi Mimura - Stardom debut 10/11/15
Arisu - Stardom debut 5/29/16 (note - 14 years old!)
Starlight Kid - Stardom debut 10/11/15

Chihiro Hashimoto - 11/10/15 Sendai Girls debut

Daiki Shimomura - DDT debut 3/5/16
Nobuhiro Shimatoni - DDT debut 3/5/16

Kohei Fujimura - Wrestle-1 debut 3/20/16

Yu Iizuka - HEAT UP debut 7/21/16



QUESTIONABLE ROOKIES AS PER THE WON CRITERIA, WITH DEBATE POINTS NOTED

Henare - NJPW debut 9/1/16, but also wrestled as "Anthony Henry" in New Zealand for an indeterminate amount of time. 9/1/16 debut would technically qualify him for 2017 Rookie of the Year balloting as well

Peter Kaasa - EVOLVE/WWN debut 10/17/15, confirmed indie dates going back to 5/12/12 - UPDATE - dave says NO

Dezmond Xavier - CZW debut 11/17/15, unconfirmed indie debut

Lio Rush - EVOLVE/FIP/WWN debut falls after 9/1/15 (within the cutoff), became ROH regular in 2016. His case depends on where you stand with CZW, where he has sporadic matches going back to late 2014. This is the kind of candidate that I would be inclined to move up to the "CLEAR CUT" designation based on past precedent, as Meltzer has counted similar candidates (ACH instantly comes to mind a few years ago) - UPDATE- dave says NO

Bronson Matthews - WWE debut 8/25/15, which falls a few days short of 9/1/15 cutoff for 2016
Mandy Rose - WWE debut 8/25/15, which falls a few days short of 9/1/15 cutoff for 2016
ZZ Loupe - WWE debut 8/25/15, which falls a few days short of 9/1/15 cutoff for 2016
Sara Lee - WWE debut 8/25/15, which falls a few days short of 9/1/15 cutoff for 2016

Lucha breakdown, per cubsfan

CMLL
Johnny Idol (from New Zealand, started with CMLL this year)
Sanely (started wrestling last year, debuted in CMLL this year)
Cuatrero (joined CMLL full time at the end of 2015, had been wrestling in the Guadalajara branch off and on since 2014, started wrestling in 2012)
Sansón (see above - Sansón is the older brother, and they've come in as a team)

ELITE
El Bandido (started with both CMLL & Elite this June, made slight appearances in Santo's group previously, started wrestling in 2011 as Magnifico II locally in Torreon.)
Último Ninja (appeared sporadically for Elite this year, started appearing on the super indies last year, started wrestling at the end of 2012 and was a regular on local Monterrey TV since mid 2014)

[PKThree]

AJPW is going to debut their next rookie, Keiichi Sato on October 23

[Rich Kraetsch]

Kaito Ishida and Takehiro Yamamura (Dragon Gate) both made debuts after September, yeah? I can't find anything for them before that.

[michaelrspears]

Kaito Ishida and Takehiro Yamamura (Dragon Gate) both made debuts after September, yeah? I can't find anything for them before that.

Official debut at Dangerous Gate at 8/16. They've been on NEX/exhibition matches since the Spring.

[Rich Kraetsch]

Man, that's close. Damn. They are in a weird spot where they won't have enough in 2015 to make a good case but came in JUST ahead of the deadline for 2016.

[Joe Lanza]

Man, that's close. Damn. They are in a weird spot where they won't have enough in 2015 to make a good case but came in JUST ahead of the deadline for 2016.

They'll get votes both years. I'll list them in both with the ever present disclaimer.

Dragon Gate debuted U-T on like 8/30 a few years ago, too. Very annoying.

[BoxingRobes]

When is Braun Strowman counting?

[Joe Lanza]

When is Braun Strowman counting?

2015

[Angry216]

In the case of U-T, he debuted in Mexico April 2013. He just made his DG debut on 8/30(which was the first match for the Millennials as an unit.)

[dj22319]

Cagematch shows me nothing on this guy, but is Peter Kaasa a rookie? I doubt it, but I've only seen him in ROH dark matches lately and the recent Evolve shows. On EVOLVE 49, he delivered one of the best looking Sasuke Specials I've ever seen.

[dj22319]

Oh okay, thanks, he definitely didn't seem like one.

[iheartdg]

Yamamura & Ishida didn't officially debut until 9/11.
Everything before that were exhibition matches.

[MillionDollarDream]

Peter Kaasa should be given some sort of award for the type of year/exposure he's had this year.

[BlizzardAcolyte]

K-DOJO has several rookies going now, and debuted Ayato Yoshida & Dinosaur Takuma just last night, but K-DOJO is so pitifully small as a promotion I'll leave it to you guys to decide whether or not to include them.

[Alan4L]

K-DOJO has several rookies going now, and debuted Ayato Yoshida & Dinosaur Takuma just last night, but K-DOJO is so pitifully small as a promotion I'll leave it to you guys to decide whether or not to include them.

DINOSAUR TAKUMA!!!